`2 BJP leaders gunned down in Bihar within 24 hours

In another instance of growing lawlessness in Bihar, two BJP leaders, including a party vice president, were gunned down in the state.Visheshwar Ojha, who was the vice-president of the Bihar BJP and had contested the 2015 Assembly elections from the Shahpur constituency in Bhojpur district

In another instance of growing lawlessness in Bihar, two BJP leaders, including a party vice president, were gunned down in the state.

Visheshwar Ojha, who was the vice-president of the Bihar BJP and had contested the 2015 Assembly elections from the Shahpur constituency in Bhojpur district, was shot dead by unidentified criminals at Sonbarsha Bazar in Ara on Friday.

Ojha's killing took place less than 24 hours after another BJP leader Kedar Singh was gunned down under Taraiya police station in Saran district. Kedar was returning from his sister's house in Mashrakh on Thursday night when the assailants fired on him near Gandar bridge on the National Highway-73. The killing coincided with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's marathon two-day review meetings with top police and administrative officials on the law and order situation. During the meeting held on Thursday and Friday, Nitish directed the state police to provide adequate security to the construction companies engaged in infrastructural projects.

Nitish also directed the police headquarters to set up a 24-hour helpline to enable people to lodge complaints. He had also asked that CCTVs should be placed at all strategic places since it helped in the investigation of cases. But the criminals remained undeterred as Ojha and Kedar were gunned down one after another.

Condemning the killings, Bihar BJP president Mangal Pandey gave an ultimatum to the state police to arrest the killers within 72 hours. He said that the party would launch an agitation if they failed to do so. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that political leaders were being targeted in Bihar. "Bihar is in the grip of terror raj," he said.

Lok Janshakti Party's state president Pashupati Kumar Paras said that Bihar had been witnessing a spate of political killings due to failure of the law and order machinery. He said that a party delegation would submit a memorandum to the Governor on the deteriorating law and order situation. Last month, a Lok Janshakti Party leader Brijnathi Singh was killed when unidentified criminals carrying AK-47s sprayed bullets on him near Patna, which had prompted the LJP to demand central rule in the state. The Opposition leaders alleged that the state was witnessing a re-run of the jungle raj (lawless regime).

They said that the police had failed to arrest the killers behind any of the high-profile killings in the state. They said that the police were yet to arrest the assailants involved in the recent murder of two engineers in Darbhanga.

The ruling Grand Alliance, however, rubbished the allegations. Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad said that the Opposition leaders were tarnishing the image of Bihar by levelling the allegations of jungle raj in Bihar.